It’s an intriguing thing to drive, and a big improvement on the disappointing Jaecoo 7 sibling car – perhaps unsurprisingly, as the 9 sits on a different platform. And because it has all-wheel drive (unlike the Jaecoo), with the front wheels powered by both petrol and electric motor and the rear wheels by electric only, the Omoda 9 feels confident and neutral even if you apply all 443bhp and 516lb ft in one go, to experience the full 4.9sec 0-62mph sprint.
This version of Chery’s SHS plug-in hybrid powertrain also gets a different transmission: a three-speed, multi-clutch, ‘dedicated hybrid transmission’ (DHT). This means that the 1.5-litre turbochatrged petrol engine can drive the wheels directly when full performance is required, but it is more often decoupled and dormant or functioning purely as a generator to charge the 34.5kWh LFP battery (which is sourced from CATL), leaving the wheels to be driven by one or both of the electric motors.
It also retains at least 20% of its battery power when it kicks you out of pure electric mode, so that when the engine starts running, the powertrain functions like a Toyota-style full hybrid and will still use the battery to boost fuel efficiency.
And with a 93-mile claimed electric range and 70kW rapid charging, you probably won’t need to bother the petrol engine very much at all, anyway.
Most of the time, the Omoda 9’s SHS plug-in hybrid system is either in pure EV mode or is working like a range-extender, meaning that it drives like an EV. It’s a pretty seamless build of acceleration – quiet, yet muscular and easy to modulate – and you don’t notice the gearbox doing its thing even when you call for a sharp burst of acceleration. There’s also very little shunt or hesitation as it switches between full EV or its hybrid modes too – even when the petrol engine does start to power the wheels directly. It’s refined too. The petrol engine isn’t intrusive in terms of the noise, other than an annoying background hum when it’s charging the battery. There is noticeable wind and tyre noise on the move, but nothing too bothersome, and the Omoda 9 is all very smooth and calming. It’s not a powertrain that you’re going to relish using, by any stretch, but it is unintrusive, clever and perfectly fit for purpose.